Lid-lifter.



T. W. COMSTOGK.

LID LIFTER.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR 28, 1911.

1,002,225. I Patented Sept. 5, 1911.

WITNESSES I I I l/VI/E/IITOR W 7. W. Comsiook Anon/ms COLUMBIA PLANOHRAPH c0.,\vAsH|Nu'r0N. D. c.

UNITED STATE PATENT UFFIQE.

THOMAS W. COMSTOCK, 0F KILLINGVVORTH, CONNECTICUT.

LID-LIFTER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS W. COM- sroox, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Killingworth, county of Middlesex, and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lid-Lifters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention has for its object to provide an improved form of lid lifter or device whereby the lid of a stove or any other article having a socket portion, will from the mere weight of the article cause the engaging member or elements thereof to expand or separate and thereby lock or clamp the device to or in the article that is elevated, for the purpose of preventing the article fromaccident-ally becoming dislodged from the holder or lifter.

A further object of the invention. is to provide in such a device, means for normally retaining the engaging members in proximity whereby the device can be inserted in the socket portion of the lid or other article and that will at once operate merely by reason of the weight of the article lifted to cause the lifter to be clamped to the article being lifted.

With these and other objects in view the invention will be hereinafter more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this application, and will then be pointed out in the claims at the end of the description.

In the drawings showing embodiments of .my invention, Figure 1 is a plan view of the device as inserted in the socket of a lid. Fig. 2 is a similar view with the expanding memher in position to grip the sides of the socket of the lid. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line III-III of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a side view enlarged of one end portion of the device, showing the position of the lever in use. Fig. 5 is a partial plan view of another form; and Fig. 6 is a transverse sect-ion onthe line VIVI of Fig. 5.

The device comprises a handle or body .member 8 and an expanding member, in the form shown comprising two levers 9 and 10. These levers are mounted on the end portion 11 of the body to swing up and down, and their free ends 12 and 13 extend beyond the body, and in their normal position are in proximity. These levers are connected at another portion with the body, whereby Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 28, 1911.

Patented Sept. 5, 1911. Serial No. 617,446.

when they are depressed the free ends will.

separate or move apart, sufficiently to engage and bind in the opposite walls of the socket portion 14 of a lid 15. But of course this is applicable to any other article having a socket portion or the like adapted to be engaged by the free ends 12 and 13, and which members can be spaced at any desired distance apart in their normal position. These levers 9 and 10 are shown as mounted to swing on a spindle or pivot member 16 carried by the extremity 11 of the body portion 8, and may have a somewhat loose bearing on this spindle or pivot member whereby a slight lateral movement can be given to the members as they swing, permittirlg their free ends to approach and to re ce e. The body member 8 is provided with guiding means that may be arranged to engage the rear extremities 17 and 18 of the levers 9 and 10 whereby the levers 9 and 10 in their swinging movement will cause the extremities 17 and 18 to approach and recede from each other, and consequently an opposite movement respectively will be imparted to the free extremities l2 and 18. That is, when the rear ends approach, the front ends will recede, and when the rear ends separate the front ends will approach each other. In one form of the device the body portion 8 is provided with a pair of sockets or slots 20 and 21 that are inclined to each other, into which project the extremities 17 and 18 respectively of the levers, as shown in Fig. 3. It will be seen that these slot-s converge upwardly, and therefore tvhen the front free ends of the levers are depressed these rear ends ridingin the slots will be forced to approach each other, and it necessarily follows that the front ends will be spread apart. Means are also provided for normally re taining the levers with their free ends elevated, and the rear ends depressed and lying in the lowermost portions of the slots. This may be effected by having the pivotal portions of the levers beyond their centers, whereby the weight of the rear portions of the levers will hold them depressed, in the normal horizontal position of the device.

In Figs. 5 and 6 another form of this device is shown, in which the levers are caused to approach and recede by being supported to swing in planes that are inclined toward each other. In other words the levers swing on axes that are inclined instead of parallel. As shown in Fig. 6 the spindle or pivot member has its extremities arranged on an incline as at 30 and 31, thereby causing the levers 32 and 33 mounted on such inclined portions to swing in the planes of the inclined sides 34: and 35 of the portion 36. It is only necessary to provide means for limiting the upward and downward movements at the rear ends of the levers, which is done by stop portions 37 and 38 of the handle or body portion 39.

In the operation of the device the body portion is held in the position indicated'in Fig. 1, and as the end portions 12 and 13 are normally in proximity, they can be inserted into the socket of the lid or other member, in the usual manner. The handle is then grasped to raise the lid as is done with an ordinary lid lifter, and the weight of the lid on the free ends of the levers will of course swing them downward on the handle, which by the engagement of the guide portions with the rear portions of the levers will cause the free ends to be forced apart, and to bind or clamp the side walls of the socket portion of the lid. It will be observed that this is effected by simply lifting the lid by grasping the handle 8 and that the mere usual and normal manipulation of the device will serve to cause the lid to be clamped by the engaging ends of the levers. Furthermore, as soon as the lid is returned to its place or it is caused to rest on any place, and the weight is taken off of these levers, the mere lifting of the handle portion will serve to release the levers from the socket walls. And as soon as withdrawn, the over-balancing of the levers at their rear portions will cause the levers to approach and return to their normal posit-ion ready for use as before. Thus it will be seen that the latter operation is also entirely automatic.

The device is very simple in its construction and very cheap to produce, as it comprises merely the body member provided with the two guide portions or slots, and the two levers pivoted to the body member.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a lifter, the combination of a body, a pair of levers pivoted at one end of the body by their intermediate portions, the body having guide portions engaging the rear end portions of the levers whereby the swinging of thelevers from the weight of an article supported by the outer ends of the levers, will cause the said supporting ends to move apart.

2. In a lifter, the combination of a body member, a pair of levers pivoted at one end of the body member by their intermediate portions, the body member having a guide portion engaged by the rear extremity of each lever whereby the depression of the free ends and raising of the rear ends will cause the free ends to separate, said levers being normally retained with the free ends elevated and in proximity.

3. A lifter comprising a body, a pair of levers pivoted by their intermediate portions at the end of the body, the body having a pair of inclined guides engaged by the rear ends of the levers whereby the lowering of the free ends of the levers by engagement with an article to be lifted will cause the free ends to separate, the levers being supported beyond their central portions whereby their free ends are normally elevated by gravity.

at. A. lid lifter comprising a body member, an expansible member pivoted thereto, guiding means formed on the body member adapted to be engaged by the inner end of said expansible member, said guiding means causing the forward portions of the expansible member to separate upon the depression of said forward portions and the raising of the engaging portions of said expansible member.

This specification signed and witnessed this 14th day of March A. D. 1911.

THOMAS W. COMSTOOK.

Witnesses:

MARK RYDER, J os. MAZZORELLI.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

